Mira reached into the inner fold of her dress with trembling fingers, pulling out a carefully wrapped piece of cloth. She unfolded it with difficulty, revealing strands of auburn hair tied delicately together.
"I completed the task you gave me," she said, her voice filled with urgency despite her weakness. "I retrieved the queen's hair. And I left the palace exactly as instructed."
Seraphielle's gaze flicked briefly to the strands, confirming them with a quiet intensity.
"But when I tried to escape toward the forest," Mira continued, gesturing weakly in the direction behind them, "I struck something invisible. A barrier. It threw me back with force I could not withstand."
Her breath hitched slightly as she forced herself to continue.
"I must have been thrown against the outer walls of Valkoron. After that… everything went dark."
Seraphielle slowly rose to her feet, her expression tightening as she turned toward the direction Mira indicated.
